Tag: 1956

December 5, 1956 Herman Shepard to his parents

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Worthington Ohio
Dec. 5, 1956

Dear Dick & Dad:-

Just a line to let you know we are OK and everything’s as usual. The weatherman has been very kind to us for the past few days but according to today’s forecast we are in for some colder weather & “stuff” I’ve been watching your Tampa reports and they look good to me, I’m surely glad you folk are down there to enjoy it.

Ruth and Charlie were here last Sunday and told us all about their trip and the house they bought. We were anxious to talk with them to find out all about what you folks have been doing, where and what kind of a house you rented, “you know the details.” You were lucky to get a nice place so quick-especially one large enough to hold your furniture. Also to be close to stores etc. I’ll bet you’ll be

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spoiled when you change your own house unless you would be lucky again to get close to shopping facilities.

You may have to give up that convenience in order to get the location, house and price you want to pay. Let’s hope your luck holds out. Ruth & Charlie really must have gotten sand in their shoes to have bought a place already. As he won’t be able to retire for so long. We wish them luck and hope they will be able to keep it rented until they need it for themselves.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but we haven’t been up to see Lydia yet. I hope she is getting along O.K. Seems like there just isn’t enough time to go around. Ralph Kring and I went up to 22 W. Park last Sunday and got the table & top carrier so that I would say

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was the final act as far as 22 W. Park is concerned.

Have you folks been looking around any yet? Ruth O’Farrel said you were going to start soon. Sure wish we were looking for one down there. The orange blossoms smell a lot closer now than they did a week ago. The main reason is Rodenfels cut my commission $20.00 a month effective starting next month. It surely made me mad when there isn’t any reason for it. I could go on and gripe for twenty pages but it won’t do any good. We are top dealer in service volume in the Norwood zone plus the fact new cars are about $200 higher than last year and I haven’t heard of any other company cutting wages.

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I was thinking maybe I could get a raise and look what I got. (Hardy Har Har)

I am enclosing the receipt for your check to Rodenfels so I hope everything is O.K. By the way how does the radio work? Are you able to pick up WLW? I imagine Dad listens to Peter Grant if you are able to get WLW.*

I’m just about out of news so till next time, I’ll close for now.
Love H.O. & ruth.

P.S. We have the birch wood in the fire place & basket and it’s so pretty we don’t want to burn it.

P.S.S. Ruth & I enjoyed Dads letter, why don’t you take turns writing now that you’re started that way. Good idea, yes.

* Peter Grant had many fans who listened to Cincinnati Radio WLW and later, watched him on TV on WLWT. Peter was a staple on WLW for years! He was also a regular on the Ruth Lyons show, and loved by viewers of all ages.

September 17, 1956 Letter Herman Shepard to parents

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Worthington Ohio
Sept 17, 1956

Dear Dick & Dad:-

Just a line to let you know we are O.K. Elsie and Ralph were in last Monday night to bring us the “Black Diamond Cheese” which she presented to us as a gift “God bless her soul” They brought Charlie and his family along so we could meet them. I’ll bet that guy was a ‘circus’ from some of the things they told us. I would liked to seen him dragging that “pike” out on the shore over on Tunal Lake. They must have had a wonderful time. Elisie said she didn’t even want to come home, and they couldn’t keep from telling us how nice you and Dad were to them.

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Their pictures turned out very good. If they had been in color they would have mine beat a mile.

The fishing at Lake Erie has not been so good the past couple of Sundays. Those darn perch are getting more stubborn all the time, they wont bit on just any old minnow, it has to be a “shinner” if you please and they are hard to get. Week ago Sunday we had a couple here from Worthington with us and the lake was too rough to go out on so we fished in the harbor and caught a few little perch and blue gill. Last Sunday the lake was OK but the fish wouldn’t bit so what are you agona due

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Have you had any news from Simon in regards to his taking one of the lots? In case you come home before I get to write again bring all the necessary information and papers with you for me to start the process of getting the one next to you.

Are you folks going to Florida this winter? Lots of people are asking and I’m telling them “yes” We are trying to get Elsie & Ralph to go along and drive with us if we got to make the trip. It wouldnt cost as much as flying although I rather fly its so much fun that way [he wouldn’t say that now!!] and a wonderful time soner.
over

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Well that about winds me up for tonight so will close for now.
Love from Ruth & Herman

P.S. I still haven’t sold the cottage.

September 7, 1956 Letter Herman Shepard To His Parents

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Worthington Ohio
Sept. 7, 1956

Dear Dick & Dad:-

I’m a little late getting this letter written, but better late than never. Ruth & I enjoyed Simon & Hazel’s visit here, they didn’t have any trouble finding the house or nothin. After we had our supper we all loaded into our wagon and toured the city I took them to some of the old places that Simon was familiar with, he said he would be lost if I turned him loose. We didn’t have much tiime to talk but he did tell us about he and Dad getting lost back in White Fish Bay, Boy when two old snake hunters get lost that is “sumpin,” Simon said they weren’t lost but just couldn’t find their way out (Hardy, har, har) We thought the water system was a pretty good deal too. First thing you know you’ll

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have inside toilets. I’ll bet it was no small job to get that outfit over from Jack’s Camp and installed but Simon is just the guy who could do it. You must have cracked the whip to get all the things done while they were there. Simon and Hazel surely like it up there as he was telling me about wanting a lot.

How is the road situation progressing? Simon said that Mr. Tapp was going to extend the road farther toward you place right away and that it would possibley come to within a half mile of “Shepards Point. I suppose Unk. Ralph and Elise will have all the dope relayed to us by the time you read this. I hope they had good weather while they were there. The weather has been real nice here only a little on the cool side for

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this time of year. It’s been too cold for me to go “Water Skiing” since we came back. We have been catching a lot of med size ring perch the last couple of weekends 77 one Sunday and 108 over the Labor Day weekend. Mary Ann and Bill were up with us Labor Day and enjoyed the fishing very much. Neither one of them ever fished any. They really got a “charge” out of catching the perch as they were hitting pretty good. They are getting into their house tomorrow so we’ll be alone after that. We’ve enjoyed having them as Mary Ann is as nice as they come and Bill is a big clown.

Ruth is having her Bridge Clu next Thursday night and is working herself silly trying to get the hoseu in condidtion for the girls inspection. After they leave the place will smell like

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a pool room (cigaretts) and will look like a hog pen, but a least Ruth will have the satisfaction of knowing it was clean to start with. We heard you had an offer on the house but the people wanted posssession now how did you come out?

I would still like to have the lot next to you but would like to know more about the road situation and if Simon is going to get one before we say a definite “yes” I would like to get it before the price goes any higher so keep us informed of any developemnts along that line. Maybe we could get the paper work started and sort of string it along as long as possible. A kind of delaying action. You know

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what I mean, in order to get in on the present price etc. We got our pictures back and most of them were good. I got one real good one of Aubrey Falls and the rest were under exposed, why I don’t know.

We are planning on going up to Westerville some evening after Ruths Bridge Club to see Lydia and check on Aunt Dosh. Burch is getting along fine he says it sure is nice to be able to take a good “shit” and enjoy it, and I’ll bet he just aint kidding. Burch told me that Ada, Charlie and Chuck were coming up this week end so Charlie must be feeling better. He says Dosh is also feeling better than for

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some time. We haven’t seen or heard anything of Bess but I suppose she is on her vacation by now.

I received a letter from “Bill ” the other day in answer to the one I wrote while in Canada, not much news just what they are doing etc. Well looks like I’m about run down so will sign off for now.

Love Ruth & Herm.

P.S. Thanks for sending our junk home and Ruth said to tell you we still have 21 lbs of Canada butter and 1 load of Thessalon bread. We have been kinda saving the butter back. If you have space when (over)

you come home bring us abot a dozen loaves of wheat bread, sliced and wrapped etc. We can put it in the freezer you know.

August 27, 1956 Letter Bill Shepard to Parents

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27 August 1856

Dear Dick & Dad:

I hope that the weather is better in Thessalon than at Moses Lake right now. All day it has been drizzling a cold rain. We cant complain too much, as it seldom rains.

I have been busy building a 5 foot high picket fence around our yard to keep Bonnie & the boys in. Hope to have it finished in a few weeks.

Havent been doing much fishing or boating since we came back from vacation. Two weeks of it must have worn me out. We did have a wonderful time though. Lis has written you about it, i’m sure.

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I wonder what time you are going south this year? Ill try to get a cross- county flight and come down for a week-end when you get settled.

The children are getting ready for school now. K W & Sue to high school. Dave to 2nd grade. Alan will go to Kindergarten. We dont want to push him too much. Tomorrow Lois & I are taking him to a hospital in Tacoma Wash. to have another eye examiniation. We hope that an operation will not be necessary.

I hope you & dad are feeling well Dick. Ill close now & get a letter off to H. O. (Ill shock him too).

Love
Bill

August 21, 1956 Herman Shepard To Parents

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Worthington Ohio
August 21 1956

Dear Dick & Dad:-

Just a line to let you know we are O.K. and getting back into the grind of things. Mary Ann and Bill are with us now and I expect they will be for a couple of weeks yet. We were on a neighborhood picnic to night and got to meet a lot of our neighbors for the first time. Of course I had to tell them all about our wonderful vacation. Ruth said look at the full moon tonite and we wondered if you were looking at it to comming up between the Island and the Cove. It is so cool here we turned the furnace on last night and it is down to 52º again tonight 11PM.

Cliff Burch came back to work yesterday and again today, seems to be doing O.K. says he feels

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like it was worth all the trouble soon as the soreness is over.

We went up to the cottage last week end and found everything OK except the grass was about to take over, the lake was rough etc. so we just took it easy, cut & trimmed the grass, cleaned the cottage etc. and just visited in general. Too bad about Frank but we were more of less expecting the worst.

Run[?] & Elizabeth were up there so we got all the information. Elizabeth is still pretty much upset. She wants to sell his boat etc. and I expect she will be selling the cottage too.

She gave me his hip boots which I use so much in taking care of the boat etc.

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We haven’t been out to see Elsie & Ralph yet but expect to get in touch with them soon. I forgot to mention in my other letter but we see each gained 3 lbs. I though it would be at least 10 for me.

The peaches are just coming on the market at the lake and we got 2 peck for eating & pie baking purposes. Well that about all.

You’ve had it. Love
Ruth &H.O.

August 15, 1956 Letter Herman To Parents

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August 15, 56
Worthington Ohio
11:30AM PLEASE NOTE

Dear Dad, Dick & Gang:-

Well don’t think we’re crazy, but that Station Wagon just flew after we left the Straits, so we just turned it loose and it came on home just like an old horse. We planned on staying in Flint, as you remember, but after eating our supper in Flint, I decided to give up the wheat cakes and drive a while longer as it was only about 7:20PM. The farther we

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drove the easier it looked to come on home. We were home in 17 hrs and 50 minutes after leaving Jacks.

The fish and butter keep just fine, & we appreciated getting the butter from Jack as that saved us some time. We ate our dinner at Christopher’s in Indian River at about 1:30PM, arrive in Flint at 6:35PM. We got our cheese at Pinche’s and some melons just out of Bay City. From Toledo on in, we kept the trucks

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company, as there were very few cars on the road. I belive it will be easy to drive up there with out an overnite stop after the bridge is completed. I didn’t get a bit speepy and I feel fine this AM. I believe the car makes the difference as it rides and drives so easy. I’m just taking the day today living up the last few hours of my vacation. It sure was different here this morning from your cabin, dogs barking, kids screaming etc. back to the old grind.

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We surely enjoyed our vacation. It’s a durn shame we have to be spoiled by being up there away from it all. That “stinken” Dick Sheridian called me up this morning and reminded me that my time was just about up and that I had “had it” also that the shop was still at the same address and the hours were still the same.

My pen just went on the “blink” so I’ll finish with a pencil. Ruth called Doch and Burch is getting along OK.

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She is not feeling to good. She and Charlie Hogue was about the same as of last week.

That about winds up the news so I’ll close for this time, hope this finds you all enjoying all the benefits of Canada, etc.

Love to all Ruth & H. O.

P.S. Ruth was able to get 6 loaves of bread at the Thessalon Bakery.

March 25, 1956 William Shepard to Parents

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322nd Fighter Interceptor Sq.
Yuma County Airport
Yuma, Arizona
25 March, 1956.

Dear Dick and Dad:

I know you have given me up as a letter writer. But I do think of you both and often too. The troubles I have make me think of the many you have had with me.

I guess you are getting ready to leave Florida. If it were me, I’d stay until May 15th! It sure is nice here in Yuma. The whole southwest is growing so. Such nice homes here now.

My squadron is here to get rocket firing training. The F86 doesn’t have
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any guns – only rockets.

When I get home in April the ice should be melted and the weather about ready to boat & fish. We are about 1/4 mile from the lake. And there is water all around.

I’m happy with everything but the small house. It is 3 bedrooms, but they are small. Perhaps with summer coming on it will be better.

Your letters sound as if you both like Florida. It is a very comfortable place to live in the winter and I hope you both continue to do it

I’ll close now

Love
Bill
p.s. Happy birthday Dad